Carving
by QueenCarol
Summary: She squints against the morning sun, trying to focus on what appears to be carved on the pike. She can make out some letters but it takes her being almost by the pike to comprehend what she's reading. Henry. Her son's name is carved on the pike


_Disclaimer:_ _Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman._ _In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economic/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested._ _No copyright infringement intended._ _Original characters are the property of the author._

They are alive.

She's not sure how it's happen but somehow the four of them are alive, none of them are hurt and Alpha has let them go.

They've defied the odds and survived what was a death sentence.

Carol had heard all about the skins and thought she had been prepared, but somehow seeing them for the first time, in their death masks and walker attire, behaving anything but like a walker behaved, had been a shock to her system. She'd stared, frozen and unbelieving, trying to process what she was seeing. Her shock could have cost them their lives, should have, but instead they are all alive, hugging each other, celebrating life.

"Said something about ah border." She hears Daryl explain. She has to shake her head and focus on what he's saying to catch up.

"A border?" Michonne asks.

Daryl nods, hitting his lip and rocking backward in the way that tells her he's nervous and strung up. Something happened while he was with Alpha, something that rocked him to the core.

"Yeah. Up north. Said we couldn't pass it or we'd deal with her."

"Is like to see her try." Yumiko says with a smirk.

"Said we'd recognize it as soon as we saw it." Daryl explains.

Carol can't help but frown. She doesn't like Alpha but this, this brings dread to her heart. Right away she understands that what awaits them at the border will be heartbreaking. She wants nothing more than to head back to Kingdom, to embrace her son and kiss her husband and make sure they are both alright.

Something tells her things will never be alright again.

They start walking right away, like moths to a flame. No one talks as they make their way through the forest. The sound of nature around them seems to both warn them of what is to come and at the same time mock their future.

Her legs tremble with each step as they clear the line that marks the end of the forest. She has her knife ready for whatever awaits them. She can't be sure that Alpha and the whispers aren't following them, or observing them, and the last thing they need is to let down their guard. She needs to be ready. She needs to be vigilant and not let her guard down.

A hill looms before them and on top something she can't quite make out. She narrows her eye a to try and focus but it's simply too far away.

Yumiko leads them up the hill and slowly Carol's throat runs dry. Her heart beats wildly in her chest and she feels slightly faint. Is she seeing what she thinks she's seeing.

Heads.

On pikes.

She quickly scans the animated faces.

There's two men she instantly recognizes as The Highway men. They are followed by the head of an older woman whom she recognizes from Hilltop as the wife of the Smithy. The next two heads on display are that of a young man and woman who she briefly saw when she dropped off Henry. They were followed by a woman she doesn't quite recognize.

But it's the last two heads that threaten to stop her heart.

Enid.

Beautiful, young, full of life Enid. A doctor in all her right. One of her last links to the young man she saw grow.

Tara.

The rightful leader of Hilltop, who had taught her that one could turn around and decide what was right and who you wanted to be a part of.

She can't understand what she sees. She can't understand what Alpha has done. She takes a moment to calm herself, taking in deep breaths. They are all dead. They have all reanimated into walkers, their soft groans piercing her heart. She can't help but feel a little guilty at the relief she feels that neither Henry nor Ezekiel are on the pikes, but the relief is short lived as she notices one last pike.

It stands alone at the end of the row, devoid of head or blood. Somehow its clean presence makes her dread it even more. It was obviously meant for someone, but who?

She squints against the morning sun, trying to focus on what appears to be carved on the pike. She can make out some letters but it takes her being almost by the pike to comprehend what she's reading.

Henry.

Her son's name is carved on the pike.

Her heart plummets as she tries to take a breath. Why is Henry's name on the last pike? What does Magna want with him? She feels the need to rush home, to leave everything behind and go to Kingdom to make sure that her son is still there and that he is alive. She turns in panic towards Daryl who is looking at the engraved pike. There's something in his eyes she doesn't like, something akin to worry and guilt. She can't dwell on it though, not right now.

She's about to tell him that she needs to go when he interrupts her by giving her a nod. "Go, we got it." He's referring to putting their family and friends out of their misery. She feels guilty once again for being unable to stay, but the need to go home is all too powerful to ignore.

She turns away from the pikes, her eyes filling with tears as she focuses on the ground in front of her. Her ming is settled on going back to Kingdom even if she feels like she's abandoning her friends. She tightens her grip on her knife, ready to strike anyone who might attack her.

She needs to get home.

Henry needs to be alive.

The Kingdom gates open as soon as she appears on the clearing.

No one asks why she's back alone though she knows that some are wondering where the rest of the group is. Perhaps it is because of the desperation on her face, the rush in her step, but everyone parts as she makes her way into Kingdom.

Someone must have called out for Ezekiel the moment they saw her approach for her husband is trotting towards her. His face is marred with worry, worry that makes the tears come back to her eyes and robs her from the ability to think clearly.

"Henry? Where is Henry?" She asks him right away as he embraces her.

He holds her tightly, knowing how much his arms have always given her a sense of protection and peace. She can't help but struggle for a second, her body fueled by the adrenaline of seeing the pikes and of the walk home. Eventually she sags against him and Ezekiel takes in all her weight, helping her stay upright.

"It's alright, it's alright." Ezekiel whispers so only she can hear, dropping all pretense of the King and simply being the worried father and husband that he is. "He's alright."

"Where?" She asks, her voice coming in half a gasp of hair and half a question.

"He's in the infirmary."

That's all it takes for her to go on high alert once again. Ezekiel feels the change in her and quickly shakes his head, leaning down just enough so that her eyes can make contact with his chocolate ones. "He's fine. A little banged up but he's fine."

She closes her eyes in relief, head bending slightly, her breathing making her chest rise fast and hard. She feels Ezekiel press a kiss to her forehead before pressing his head to hers. "Breathe, my love." He reminds her and Carol shudders as she automatically takes in a breath.

Once she has somewhat gathered herself, Ezekiel takes her hand and starts guiding her through the fair to the other side of Kingdom where the infirmary awaits. It is obvious that the fun atmosphere of the fair has all but ceased to exist. The booths are mostly empty and those that aren't are being picked up as they walk by.

All they've worked for is gone to shreds but it is nothing compared to what they've lost. Do they even know?

"I saw…"

"I know, Henry recounted what he lived through." Ezekiel tells her just as they reach the building that houses the infirmary. "And we will mourn, and we will avenge them, but right now Henry needs his mother."

"And I need my son." Carol agrees with him.

"Then who am I to stand between a mother and her child?" Ezekiel declares just as he opens the door.

The sigh of her son on the infirmary bed is enough to break her heart. He looks so small, with bruises all over his face and neck. She winces at the black and purple blotches on his skin and on the thin purple mark developing around his neck. Carol can't help but reel at the sight of it; her son had been about to die, killed in the same fashion than the rest of her friends and family.

Henry's eyes are closed when she steps in but as soon as she says his name his eyes open. She can see that he tries to be strong, to be the warrior he's trained to be, but the rush of tears that clog his eyes remind her of the time he broke his arm while training and wanted nothing but the assurance of his mother.

"Oh Henry." She whispers as she draws close. Ezekiel lets go of her hand so that she can embrace their son. She holds on to Henry tightly, the tears she has prevented from falling as she made her way home, sliding down her face. She buries her face in his air and takes in a deep breath; she can smell the sweat and blood and she instantly closes her eyes tightly, her arms tightening around his tiny frame.

She doesn't care if everyone is watching them. She can be the Queen of Kingdom but she's a mother first and foremost and her son needs her right now.

"I'm fine mom." She hears Henry promising but she still needs to feel him close to her. To think she could have found him in the line of pikes unnerves her deeply.

She releases him only to sit at the edge of his bed, her hand reaching for his just as Ezekiel place his hands on her shoulders. She instinctively leans back against her husband, finding strength in his presence behind her.

"How?" Carol asks though her voice breaking makes her pause and gather herself. She feels Henry squeezing her hand which only makes a new set of tears fall. She uses the hand she's not holding Henry's with to brush the tears away. "What happened?"

"The fair was infiltrated." Ezekiel explains. "We've been apart for too long and most of the faces we have met are new ones."

"Alpha took us. I thought I saw her, but she looked so different, so clean. I followed her and someone ended up hitting my head." Henry continues his father's explanation, his voice horse and pained. "I woke up in a barn, they were all there. She… she killed them all mom."

"She made him watch."

It's her turn to tighten her hold on Henry's hand as she sees her son break down in front of her. She knows the world they live in is a horrible place, but to see the young man she's helped raise feel so pained, breaks her heart completely. She wants nothing more than to take his pain and spare him from the heart ache.

"I was the last one. She wanted me to watch. She wanted me to see how mad she was at losing Lydia before she killed me. I tried to fight her, we all did, but the others held me and she wrapped the metal string around my neck. I was about to pass out when Ozzy and the rest barged in. He got me out."

"Ozzy?" Carol asks as she turns her head up to look at Ezekiel and discretely brushes off some of her tears. "The Highway Man?"

"Indeed, my love." Ezekiel replies. "The moment we realized that Henry was missing I sent out the knights and they informed them. They must have tracked down the whispers."

"Two… two of them were piked." Carol whispers as she remembers their saddened expressions. She hears Henry's intake of breath and quickly turns to look at him, ready to sooth any of his pain away. Instead she find her son's guilty expression. "No Henry, it isn't your fault."

"It is, mom." He replies before turning to look to the side.

She follows his gaze and her eyes land on a figure she hadn't realized is there. Lydia, the daughter of the women who had almost killed her son. She looks as unsure as when they met but she also looks terrified, terrified that Carol will blow up on her and throw her out of The Kingdom.

Carol doesn't say a word to her. She's not quite sure how to react to the young woman who is obviously terrified. She recognizes in her the sign of an abused child and wants to reach out to her, to reassure her that at Kingdom she has nothing to fear, but she also knows that her presence has brought devastation to many, specially the families of those her mother has piked.

Carol is well aware that had it not been for the perfect timing of the Highway Men, she would have lost her son and she would have been one of the ones deeply affected by loss. She's not sure how she would have reacted then.

Instead she turns once more to Henry and quickly shakes her head. "It is not your fault. You did what you felt was right, you protected Lydia. It is not your fault that there are people out there who want nothing but to hurt others and it is certainly not your fault that Alpha decided to murder our own."

"I could have done something, something to stop her." Henry declares though the strength that he delivers his words in eventually makes him cough. HIs throat is hurt far more than just the signs of pressure being applied to his neck.

"Son, she had you bound by your hands and feet. There was nothing you could have done."

"If only I had my stick…"

"Henry," Carol interrupts him by reaching over and gently grasping his chin. "It's not your fault. I know it hurts and I know it doesn't feel like we are telling you the truth, but you couldn't have taken them out by yourself."

"No, but I could have killed Alpha." He states though one again he sends a quick look towards Lydia.

"Or gotten yourself killed." Carol reminds him. "What would we have done then? What would your father have done? What would I have done?"

Henry quiets down almost instantly, giving them looks that begged their forgiveness. Carol understood what he was feeling, understood the guilt of being a survivor while those around you got murdered. She knew they had a long battle ahead to make him see that it hadn't been his fault.

"Where is Ozzy? I need to thank him." Carol asks after a couple of seconds of silence.

Ezekiel's hold on her shoulder tightens and she instantly knows that the man didn't make it. He gave up his life for her son's life.

"He was hurt." Ezekiel explains. "One of the whispers threw a knife and it embedded in his neck. He pushed long enough to make it to the gates of Kingdom but we were unable to save him."

"He bled out cause of me." Henry whispers.

"No." This time it is Lydia that addresses Henry. "He bled out cause of my people, cause of my mother. They were the ones that hurt him, that hurt you and… everyone else."

"Lydia…"

"It's true Henry. They were the ones that did this, because I wouldn't go back with my mother." Lydia moves away from the place she had been sitting at. Carol can see that it takes her all her emotional strength to approach them and that even as she does she keeps a weary look on as she sees Carol and Ezekiel. "I'm sorry. This is my fault as much as my mothers."

"Lydia…"

"The sins of the father, of the mother, do not get passed down to their offspring, not at Kingdom." Ezekiel declares. "Many will blame you, young girl, they will feel that they have a right to do so, but let me assure you that within The Kingdom you will not be hurt or accused. You have the King and Queen's protection."

Lydia's eyes jump from Ezekiel to Carol. She knows that the young girl needs to hear it from her as well and though she agrees with her husband, she also knows that it will be hard for the girl to be unscathed. "We will do our very best." She promises, because that's all she can do.

Turning towards her son, Carol's heart breaks yet again. He looks exhausted, traumatized beyond his years. "You are safe, that's all that matters now." She leans forward and presses a kiss to his forehead before gently caressing his cheek. "The rest we will deal with later."

Once Henry has been allowed to rest at home after Siddiq checked him over, and once Carol has personally made sure that her son is resting in his bedroom, she stands by the door watching him sleep, guarding him.

She knows that Henry is safe in their home. Ezekiel made it a point to have his two best knights standing guard by the door, ready to protect their child at a moments notice, but she still can't shake the feeling of needing to be at his side, of needing to keep him within eye sight.

She needs to keep him safe and alive, even if he hates her for being overbearing.

The memory of his name carved on the pike, of the warning and signaling of her son, makes her whole body shake with goosebumps. She rubs her hands on her arms to try and chase them away but finds herself still shaking. Her hands eventually get covered by Ezekiel's, who has sneaked up on her. She jumps slightly but settles once she recognizes her husband's touch.

"He's safe." Ezekiel whispers to her as he presses his chin to her shoulder. She leans back slightly, melting against his body.

"I know." She whispers, not wanting to wake up Henry. It took a long time for him to settle down and it was only accomplished after he made sure that Lydia had a room to rest that night. The last thing she wants is to wake him up by being too loud.

Carol still isn't sure how to feel about the fact that the young woman is staying under the same roof her son is, but she knows that's something she'll worry on a later day. Now all she cares about is her son's and husband's well being.

"Come to bed, my love." Ezekiel begs but Carol can't help but shake her head.

"I can't," she admits. "I can't leave him here. I need to know he's safe."

"He is."

"I know." She truly does know that Henry is safe but the panic and worry she felt back at the hill doesn't allow her to relax. Seeing his name carved as a sort of warning terrifies her to the core. "But I can't seem to bring myself to leave his side."

"You need to rest as much as he does." She knows Ezekiel is right and if Henry still processed traumatic events like he did as a child, Carol knows the chances of them waking up with the screams of her son's nightmares are high.

She feels Ezekiel tugging lightly at her until she finally moves. "Let me just check once more."

Ezekiel smiles and gives her a nod before leaving her side, letting her have the time she needs with their son. She loves her husband so much for understanding her at such a basic level. She can't help but smile as she watches him go to their bedroom, keeping the door open in case either need him.

Carol takes a deep breath and tucks her hair behind her ear turning towards Henry. She makes her way towards her son's bedside but doesn't sit on the mattress as she did back in the infirmary. She takes a moment to observe his sleeping face. She wishes more than anything that she could erase the look of discomfort in his expression and the memory of the massacre he witnessed, but she knows she can't.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." She whispers before she leans down and placing a kiss on his forehead. "I won't let her hurt you. Not now, not ever."

Henry moves in sleep then snuggles down on his bed. She makes quick work of tucking him in before pressing a second kiss to his temple.

Making sure to be as silent as she was walking in, Carol makes her way out of his bedroom. She leaves the door ajar before turning to look at Jerry, who has promised to stay outside of his bedroom for as long as needed and she is truly grateful for it. "Thank you, Jerry."

"No problemo, my Queen." Jerry says with a tilt of his head. "Sleep tight, I'll keep the Prince safe."

She doesn't doubt for a single second that he will. Instead of hovering she makes her way down the hallway towards a second bedroom. She opens the closed door to find the room bathed in darkness, a figure slumped on the floor.

Lydia.

She doesn't question it, after all the transition to living under a roof after being out in the open for so long hadn't been easy on her either. Instead of waking her she moves to the bed, takes of the blanket then covers the small girl with it. She leaves the room and closes the door tight. If it opens, for whatever reason, Jerry will be able to hear it and react in time.

She finds her husband already in bed, laying on his belly and hugging his pillow. She moves into the bedroom, leaving their door ajar just in case they are needed.

The events of the day catch up to her and before she knows it she is sitting on the edge of the bed, face in her hands, shoulders shaking as she finally cries the fear and loss she's kept at bay.

Behind her the bed rustles as Ezekiel moves from his spot. He gently guides her into his arms, folding her in his embrace and giving her the sense of protection she so desperately craves. "Let it out, my love." He whispers to her, his thumb gently caressing the skin of her arm. "Let it all out."

Carol cries for the longest time, secure that in his arms and presence she will not face any criticism. He remains silent, giving her strength by simply holding her and pressing soft kisses against her temple. When she feels like she had no more tears to cry simply because her body has run out of moisture, Carol leans her head back and licks her lips.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

She wants to say no, wants to protect him from what she saw and default to burying everything inside. She knows that's not her anymore and that he offers with the hole purpose of helping ease her pain for those she's lost. Instead of holding it in she ends up giving a soft nod and lowering her head so she can look directly into his eyes.

"They surrounded us during the night. We fought a small hoard of walkers and then they came out of nowhere. They... they were wearing dead faces. All but her." She knows she needs not elaborate on the name, that Ezekiel understands her and her underlying hate of the woman who had almost taken their son. "She said Lydia didn't matter anymore and then separated us. We reunited in the morning and that's when Daryl told us what she'd say, about the border and how we'd know where it was when we saw it."

"The pikes were the boarders." Ezekiel declares and Carol nods along.

"So many... and Tara and... Enid."

"My love." He whispers and raises a hand to gently brush away the tear from her face. She hadn't even realized she was crying again but here was her husband tenderly taking care of her, tending to her pain when he too had been in a world of panic to find their son.

"There was an empty one. It... it was meant for him, Ezekiel. She carved Henry's name on it. She wanted to murder our son! She would have done so had it not been for Ozzy." She can feel the tremor extending through all of his body. He knew her fear, felt it as keenly as she did

"But he did get there in time and he gave his life to save Henry," Ezekiel reminds her, his thumb continuing his caress in order to anchor her.

"And if she comes for him? If she comes here again?"

"She will not. I will not allow it. The fair... their deaths showed us how apart we have grown and that we can't allow that to happen again. We will not let it happen again." He declares with a strong sure voice. "Henry will not appreciate our efforts but he will not leave our sight. A Kingdom knight will be with him at all times."

She raises a hand to cup his chin prompting him to lean his cheek against her, seeking her touch as if it was salve to his scared soul. "I will not let him get hurt," he promises. "The terror we've felt today we will carry forever. I have only been scared like I was today once before, and that was when we lost him to the woods in his need to prove to us he was capable of fighting. Our son has a mind of his own. He's dictated by his heart and his well-meaning. I'll be damned if i allow it to kill him."

"I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed here with both of you." She whispers before pressing her forehead to his. "I would have ever forgiven myself if he'd been killed."

"Neither would I have forgiven myself." Ezekiel agreed, gathering her close and slowly guiding her into a resting position on the bed. She snuggles against him and slowly releases a breath, their arms holding tightly to the other, afraid that if they let go the night will suddenly let into morning and their son's life would be taken from them.

"Promise me we will do our very best to keep him alive." She begs though she knows without him having to tell her that Ezekiel would lay down his life for Henry and her, just like she would for them. "We can't lose him."

"We won't, my love. We won't." He promises. "Alpha will not harm our boy. Not ever again."

"Now rest, our son will need you in the morrow." Exhaustion seems to take hold of her almost as soon as he whispers the words into her ear, seems to lull her into an exhausted state of being. Her adrenaline has obviously run out and her body slowly shuts down, aided by his deep voice and the threading of his fingers through her hair.

"She will meet her end. The whisperers will not know what hit them." She hears as her breathing slows down and her eyes slowly drop close.

"Our friends and family will be avenged, my Queen."

She doesn't doubt him.


End file.
